Display card



' Nov. 21, 1933.

A; R. BOTHAM I 1,935,764 I DISPLAY CARD Filed Dec. 28, 1932 (I'NVENTQZBY a ATTORNEY5 Patented Nov. 21, 1933 PATENT OFFICE DISPLAY CARD ArthurR. Botham, New York, N. Y., assignor to Coty, Inc., New York, N. Y., acorporation of New York Application December 28, 193.2

Serial No. 649,134

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a display device.

It has been the practice in the past to simulate, as nearly as possible,a transparent or translucent bottle or container containing a coloredliquid such as perfume, toilet water or the like, for display purposes,by printing a simulation of the same on a display card. This method hasproved unsatisfactory because of the impossibility of I producinga closesimulation due to the difference in character between the simulation andthe actual product, and yet where relatively large display cards are tobe used it has been necessary to simulate in this manner because it hasnot been practicable to produce a large bottle or con- I tainer filledwith colored liquid for display purposes.

It has also been the practice to exhibit a small bottle or container ona display card but this has the disadvantage that it cannot be observedfrom any considerable distance. However, the use of the actual bottlehas the advantage of appearance and for that reason the actual bottleshave been used sometimes in the place of printed simulation.

The principal object of this invention is to create a display device inwhich the simulation of the bottle or container will be such that itwill create the illusion of an actual bottle or container and will be ofsuch size that it may be observed from any distance desired.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is an elevation of an embodiment of theinvention;

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view; and

Figure 3 is an edge view of the same.

The invention consists essentially of a background or panel having atransparent or translucent area of a configuration simulating theelevation of the body of a bottle or container and simulations inbas-relief at the top and bottom a of this area to effect the appearanceof a stopper and a supporting surface for the bottle or container. Abacking for this area is arranged to simulate certain of the insidefaces of the body of the bottle. A source of light is arranged betweenthe backing and the transparent or translucent area of the panel and acolor producing medium is arranged so as to impart color to the saidarea.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing includes apanel 1 which in this instance is made of opaque material. An opening 2is formed in the panel 1 and is of a shape similar to an elevation ofthe body of the bottle which is to be simulated. A transparent facing 3is arranged to cover this opening which may carry a legend 4 relating tothe contents of the bottle. Above the bottle body in has-relief is asimulation of the stopper 5 and below also in basrelief is a simulationof a supporting surface 5A. The particular bottle that is simulated inthe drawing is octagonal in horizontal section so that looking at theface of the bottle a front surface and two diverging side surfaces wouldbe observed. In order to create the illusion of such surfaces, a backing6 is mounted behind the transparent facing 3, which backing has asurface 7 parallel with the facing 3 and two diverging side surfaces 8.Thus, the corners 9 are produced. This backing 6 is made preferably of alight refleeting material.

When the simulation of the bottle is observed from the front of thepanel it will have the appearance of a bottle of octagonal form due tothe arrangement of the surfaces 7 and 8 that may be observed through thefacing 3.

In order that the bottle simulation may be made to appear to contain acolored liquid a coloring medium is used. This may take the form of acoating on the surface of the backing 6, a coating on the inner surfaceof the facing 3 or coloring sheet arranged between laminations of thefacing 3. It also may take the form of a color screen arranged adjacentthe bottom of the backing and facing. A source of light 10 is arrangedat the lower end, within the backing 6 and below the lower edge of theopening 2. The illumination from this source of light 10 will give thebottle simulation the appearance of containing a liquid of the color ofthe coating, sheet or screen. The result of this will be that the bottlesimulation will have the appearance of the bottle itself filled with thecolored liquid that the original bottle contains.

Of course, it is obvious that the facing 3 need not be transparent butit may be translucent and will have the same effect and, furthermore,the opaque panel 1 may be translucent which will give the same generaleffect. The panel 1 may be used as an entity. Again it may be used as aunit of composition.

By providing the simulation of the stopper 5 at the top of the opening 2or similar area and the simulation of the supporting surface 5A at thebottom of the opening 2 or similar area, the illusion of the bottle orcontainer is made unusually complete and the bottle or containersimulated is made to stand out and appear to the eye in strikingreality.

What I claim is:

1. In a display device, the combination with a panel having an openingtherein simulating the contour of the body of a bottle, a stopperarranged in bas-relief on the panel above the said opening of thebottle, a simulation of a supporting surface arranged in bas-relief atthe bottom of said opening, a transparent facing for said opening, abacking simulating the configuration of the back of the bottle, meansfor illuminating the facing and backing, and means for producing theeffect of color on said facing.

2. In a display device the combination with a panel having an openingtherein of the configuration of a body of a bottle, a stopper arrangedin has-relief above said opening, a simulation of a supporting surfacefor said bottle arranged in has-relief at the bottom of said opening, atransparent facing for said opening, a backing for the openingsimulating certain of the faces of the bottle, means for illuminatingthe space between the facing and backing, and means for producing theeffect of color in such space.

3. In a display device, in combination, a panel having an openingtherein simulating the contour of the body of a container, a devicearranged in has-relief on the panel above said opening simulating astopper for said simulated container, a simulation of a supportingsurface for said simulated container arranged in has-relief at thebottom of said opening, and a hollow backing simulating theconfiguration of the back of said simulated container mounted at therear of said opening.

ARTHUR R. BOTHAM.

